The Institute for Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence and Technology (INSAIT) at Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski" is receiving a new financial injection from the technology giant "Google" (Google), amounting to 1 million US dollars. This latest donation solidifies the strategic partnership between the two parties, and the company's total investment in the institute now exceeds 6 million US dollars. The Ministry of Education and Science (MES) announced that this collaboration aims to deepen the commitment to open and inclusive research and innovation in the field of artificial intelligence in Central and Eastern Europe.
The new funding will support INSAIT's further research activities, providing additional computational resources. In addition, the funds will support the national Explorer program, which is aimed at talented Bulgarian students who have chosen to pursue their higher education in the field of computer science in Bulgaria.
This new support builds upon the initial financial support from "Google" in 2022. At that time, the technology giant provided 3 million US dollars in the form of Google Cloud credits, as well as two DeepMind scholarships for doctoral students. These investments played a key role in establishing INSAIT as a leading center for research and talent development in the field of artificial intelligence in the country. In 2024, "Google" expanded the collaboration, providing additional support for training generative AI models, which contributed to increasing scientific capacity and talent development in the institute.
Within its partnership, "Google" supports the development of open language models (LLMs) developed by INSAIT and based on Google's Gemma series. One of the most remarkable results is BgGPT - the first Bulgarian language model, which received recognition from Google DeepMind and Google Research, including publications in the company's official blog, read by millions around the world. In addition, the MamayLM models were presented - open models of a new generation for the Ukrainian language, also based on the Gemma2 and Gemma3 series.
The Ministry of Education and Science notes that "Google"'"s ongoing support for INSAIT reflects the company's long-term commitment to the responsible development of artificial intelligence, the support of local talents, and the strengthening of artificial intelligence in the ecosystem in Bulgaria and the region through INSAIT.
INSAIT, located in Sofia, Bulgaria, stands out as the first institute in Eastern Europe to offer working conditions at a world-class level, comparable to those in leading Western universities and institutes. The institute is part of Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski_q_ and was created in partnership with the Swiss ETH Zurich and EPFL, two of the most respected technology universities in the world. Leading scientists from prestigious universities and research laboratories from America, Europe, and Israel lead and advise the institute. The main focus of INSAIT is directed towards scientific achievements, including world-class research, attracting international scientists with exceptional achievements, training the next generation of students and technology leaders.